# List of mayors of Peterborough, Ontario

The mayor of Peterborough is an elected official who serves as the head of the municipal government of Peterborough. The mayor is a member of city council, which is an elected body that is responsible for developing policies, programs and services of the municipality; representing constituents in municipal government; and providing governance over the corporation of the municipality. The Mayor leads Council and acts as the Chairperson of council meetings, as the Chief Executive Officer for the corporation, and as the representative for the municipality.
Between 1850 and 1859, when Peterborough first became a township, aldermen were elected every January and these elected officials appointed a mayor, reeve and deputy reeve from among their numbers. In 1860, this changed and the public was able to vote for mayor at the polls.
On Canada Day 1905, the town of Peterborough and the village of Ashburnham amalgamated — creating the City of Peterborough. This merger changed Peterborough's municipal status from 'town' to 'city' and accordingly Peterborough Town Council became Peterborough City Council.
Currently, municipal elections are held every four years and voters are able to cast their ballot for a mayoral candidate as well as candidates in their home ward. Mayors serve a term of four years and may run for re-election indefinitely as there are no term limits.

## List of Peterborough Mayors
### Peterborough Town Council (1850-1905)

Peterborough Town Mayors 1850-1905 :
| No. | Mayor | Selection method | Took office | Left office | Additional notes |
| 1 | Thomas Benson | Appointed | 1850 | | |
| 2 | Charles Hudson | Appointed | 1851 | | |
| 3 | James Hall | Appointed | 1852 | | |
| 4 | James Stevenson | Appointed | 1853 | | |
| 5 | James Hall | Appointed | 1854 | | |
| 6 | Wilson S. Conger | Appointed | 1856 | | |
| 7 | James Stevenson | Appointed | 1857 | 1859 | |
| 8 | Augustus Sawers | Elected | 1860 | | His nomination first appeared publicly in "The Examiner" on 17 November 1859. |
| 9 | Charles Perry | Elected | 1861 | May 1865 | Disqualified as an insolvent under the Insolvent Act of 1864. Peterborough Review, 19 May 1865, page 2. |
| 10 | William Adam Scott | Elected | May 1865 | December 1865 | Election held May 22-23, 1865, Scott 196, Nicholls 99, Declared mayor 24 May 1865. Peterborough Review, 26 May 1865, page 2. |
| 11 | Walter Hepburn Scott | Elected | 1866 | 1871 | William Hepburn Scott (1837-1881), Mayor and MPP, by Elwood Jones, in Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley, 10 (1), May 2005, page 22-3 photo. |
| 12 | George Albertus Cox | Elected | 1872 | 1874 | |
| 13 | William Toole | Elected | 1875 | 1878 | |
| 14 | John James Lundy | Elected | 1879 | 1880 | |
| 15 | Henry Hall Smith | Elected | 1881 | 1883 | |
| 16 | George Albertus Cox | Elected | 1884 | 1885 | |
| 17 | James Stevenson | Elected | 1886 | 1891 | |
| 18 | James Kendry | Elected | 1892 | 1895 | |
| 19 | William Yelland | Elected | 1896 | 1897 | |
| 20 | Alfred Lawrence Davis | Elected | 1898 | 1899 | |
| 21 | James Kendry | Elected | 1900 | | |
| 22 | T. H. G. Denne | Elected | 1901 | 1902 | |
| 23 | George M. Roger | Elected | 1903 | 1904 | |

### Peterborough City Council (1905-present)

City of Peterborough Mayors :
| No. | Mayor | Selection Method | Took office | Left office | Additional Notes |
| 24 | Henry Best | Elected | 1905 | 1906 | |
| 25 | R.F. McWilliams | Elected | 1907 | | |
| 26 | H. Rush | Elected | 1908 | 1909 | |
| 27 | W. George Morrow | Elected | 1910 | 1911 | |
| 28 | William H. Bradburn | Elected | 1912 | 1913 | |
| 29 | William H. Buller | Elected | 1914 | 1915 | |
| 30 | Joseph James Duffus | Elected | 1916 | 1917 | |
| 31 | George H. Duncan | Elected | 1918 | 1919 | |
| 32 | A.A. McIntyre | Elected | 1920 | 1921 | |
| 33 | William H. Taylor | Elected | 1922 | 1923 | |
| 34 | J.J. Turner | Elected | 1924 | 1925 | |
| 35 | Dr. W.T. Holloway | Elected | 1926 | 1927 | |
| 36 | Roland Denne | Elected | 1928 | 1935 | |
| 37 | George A. Macdonald | Elected | 1936 | 1940 | |
| 38 | James Hamilton | Elected | 1941 | 1945 | |
| 39 | William G. Ovens | Elected | 1946 | 1948 | |
| 40 | Maxwell J. Swanston | Elected | 1949 | 1951 | |
| 41 | H.F. Waddell | Elected | 1952 | 1953 | |
| 42 | N.G. Graham | Elected | 1954 | | Died in December 1954. |
| 43 | A.B. Burrows | Appointed | 1954 | | Replaced N. G. Graham December 1954. |
| 44 | J.A. Dewart | Elected | 1955 | 1958 | |
| 45 | D.A. Louks | Elected | 1959 | 1960 | |
| 46 | Stanley A. McBride | Elected | 1961 | 1962 | Resigned in October 1962 to become sheriff |
| 47 | Alene Holt | Appointed | 1962 | | Replaced Stanley A. McBride October 1962, becoming Peterborough's first female mayor. |
| 48 | Clarence W. Boorman | Elected | 1963 | 1964 | Died October 1964, replaced by W. G. Powell. |
| 49 | W.G. Powell | Appointed | 1964 | 1966 | Completed term of C. W. Boorman. |
| 50 | Joseph J. Behan | Elected | 1967 | 1968 | |
| 51 | J.D. Csumrlk | Elected | 1969 | 1970 | |
| 52 | P. Douglas Galvin | Elected | 1971 | | |
| 53 | Philip H. Turner | Elected | 1972 | 1974 | |
| 54 | Joseph J. Behan | Elected | 1975 | 1976 | |
| 55 | Cameron D. Wasson | Elected | 1977 | 1980 | |
| 56 | R.J. Barker | Elected | 1981 | 1985 | |
| 57 | Sylvia Sutherland | Elected | 1986 | 1991 | Sutherland was Peterborough's first elected female mayor. |
| 58 | J.A. Doris | Elected | 1992 | 1997 | |
| 59 | Sylvia Sutherland | Elected | 1998 | 2006 | |
| 60 | D. Paul Ayotte | Elected | 2007 | 2010 | |
| 61 | Daryl Bennett | Elected | 2011 | 2018 | |
| 62 | Diane Therrien | Elected | November 26, 2018 | | |
| 63 | Jeff Leal | Elected | November 15, 2022 | | |